Production of aryl mercapto compounds



Patented Aug. 7, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRODUCTION OF ARYL MERCAPTO oomroonns Keith William Palmer, Fartown, Huddersfield,

England, assignor to Imperial Chemical Industries Limited, a corporation of Great Britain No Drawing. Application July 2, 1932, Serial No. 620,732. In Great Britain July 6, 1931 9 Claims. (01. 260-154) This invention relates to the production of process of the present invention without departaryl mercapto compounds and more particularly ing from the scope thereof. refers to the production of mercapto phenols. The reactions herein described probably pro- It is an object of this invention to produce ceed according to the following equations:

valuable organic compounds. A further object 60 is to produce organic compounds which are very Halogen phenyl ggaggg useful in dyeing processes. Additional objects will appear hereinafter NaS phenylONa+2HCl HSpheny1OH+2NaC1 These objects are attained by the present in- As many app t y Widely difiel'ent embodi' vention wherein a halogenated phenol is reacted ments of this invention may be made without de- 65 with a mixture of alkali sulfide and alkali hyparting from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to droxide. be understood that I do not limit myself to the The invention will be more completely underspecific embodiments thereof except as defined in stood by a consideration of the following examthe appended claims.

pics, in which the quantities are stated in parts I claim: 70

y W ght! 1. A process which comprises reacting a halo- Emample 1 genated phenol with a molten mixture of an alkali metal sulfide and an alkali metal hydroxide. 270 parts of crystallized sodium sulfide (91-120) 2. A process which comprises reacting an alkyl and 40 parts of flake caustic soda were mixed and halogeno phenol with a molten mixture of an 75 melted together at about 80 C. 128.5 parts of alkali metal sulfide and an alkali metal hydroxide. p-chlorophenol was added. The mixture was 3. A process which comprises reacting a halostirred and heated at 210-215 C. for 24 hours genated phenol with a molten mixture of sodium under a reflux condenser. The cooled mixture 7 sulfide and sodium hydroxide.

25 was dissolved in water and the solution was made 4. A process which comprises reacting an alkyl 80 acid by adding hydrochloric acid. The precipihalogeno phenol with a molten mixture of sodium tated oil was separated and distilled under disulfide and sodium hydroxide.

minished pressure, giving almost pure monothio- 5. A process which comprises reacting phydroquinone. chlorophenol with a molten mixture of sodium Example 2 sulfide and sodium hydroxide.

6. A process which comprises reacting 5- 93 parts of crystallized sodium sulfide (9H2O) chloro-o-cresol with a molten mixture of sodium 14.5 parts of flake caustic soda, and grams sulfide and sodium hydroxide. of 5-chloro-o-cresol were heated together as de- 7. A process which comprises reacting o- 35 scribed in the preceding example. The new merchlorophenol with a molten mixture of sodium capto compound so-obtained had M. P. 42-43" C. sulfide and sodium hydroxide.

' 8. The product having the following general Example 3 formulw 520 parts of crystallized sodium sulfide (91-120) X 40 80 parts of flake caustic soda, 258 parts of 95 o-chlcrophenol were heated together as described in preceding examples. The product, separated *4 as there described, consisted of a mixture of SE monothiocatechol and unchanged o-chloropheh X 1k 1 5 ml. By fractional distillation the monothiocate 'if s g s i t 1 'chol was obtained as a colorless oil of B. P. f pm uc avmg e o owmg genera 134-136 C. at 65 mm. pressure. orm

In the above examples other halogen groups may be substituted for the chloro groups and 50 likewise, other alkyl groups may be substituted for the methyl group used in Example 2. Also various other groups, well known to one skilled SH in the art, which do not enter into the reaction and having a melting point of about 42 C. to but which produce substituted mercapto phenols about 43 C. 5 as a product may be used in carrying out the KEITH WILLIAM PALMER. 

